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Least Tern Project info
2011
Season
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2009
Least Tern & Snowy Plover Project
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| May
05 - Tern
Reserve/SAR Marsh Tern Island |
Notes
from the field:
Wally Ross and I were very concerned after Bobby Miller’s
report last Thursday of an American crow flying away from
the Natural Preserve with an egg in its beak. We know there
are few if any active nests through the southland and guessed
the egg may be from a killdeer. Wally and I met the next morning
to try and solve the case. Irene was there and we all saw
one crow with something (not an egg) fly from the Preserve.
Be on the look out for a crow missing some of his secondaries.
We saw only two other crows on the beach.
We did find ground squirrel activity in the corner by the
river mouth. If anyone sees squirrels moving inside or outside
the Preserve- we want to know. Their numbers appear to be
up this season.
The perimeter and chick fencing is up and continuous. Any
breaches or impacts should also be reported.
We estimated 75-100 least terns on Friday with lots of pairing,
courting and calling. Most of the elegant terns that were
in the Talbert Marsh have moved to either Terminal Island
or Bolsa Chica. One Western snowy plover was seen at tower
#4. And, this morning I saw a peregrine fly over the Preserve.
—David
Pryor
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SAR
Marsh Tern Island: Optional Monitoring Site - see attached
arial photo
If you would like, in addition to your 2 hrs at the tern
preserve, there is a site that has recently been worked
on in the hopes of attracting least terns to observe. This
site can be accessed from the State Beach Natural Preserve
by taking the bike trail under the PCH bridge that is over
the SA River. Then take the path to the left which will
loop around to the sidewalk on the bridge. Proceed across
the river to the Newport Beach side and take the bike trail
north along the river. You will see a raised cleared "island"
on your right - about a 5 min. walk up the trail. One way
walking from the Natural Preserve should take about 15-20
min. You can only view the site from along the bike trail.
If you see any activity; terns, predators, or just nothing
happening at this site, please send an email with the date/time
and your observations to Richard Zembal at
and cc: David Pryor, Cheryl Egger
Please remember safety on the bike trails - walk along the
shoulder wherever possible.
Thanks,
—
Cheryl
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Map
of SAR Tern Island
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